From NEHJ: New crop risin' in the AHL

Did you know that 88 percent of
all NHL players to suit up during the 2011-12 season were graduates
of the American Hockey League?

Lockout or no lockout in the
NHL, it’s sure to be another banner season across the AHL
with top minor-league affiliates once again loaded with talent,
including dozens of top players from New England.

With the new season upon us,
we’ve combed through the rosters, spoken to the experts and
picked 15 New England natives you should keep an eye on in the AHL
this season.

Apologies to the likes of Cam
Atkinson (Greenwich, Conn.; Springfield Falcons), Chris Bourque
(Boxford, Mass.; Providence Bruins), Benn Ferriero (Essex, Mass.;
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins), Jimmy Hayes (Dorchester, Mass.;
Rockford IceHogs) and John McCarthy (Andover, Mass.; Worcester
Sharks), but this list is reserved for the youngsters who have yet
to reach the highest ranks in the NHL. Within the next few seasons,
we expect they will be.

Barry Almeida

Hometown: Springfield, Mass.

2012-13 team: Hershey
Bears

Position: Left wing

Undrafted and perhaps
unheralded, Almeida received an American Hockey League contract
from the Hershey Bears after totaling nearly as many points (40 in
44 games) as a senior last season at Boston College as in his
previous three years combined (52 in 115 games).

Deservedly, he was BC’s
co-MVP and an AHCA second-team All-American.

Following a second national
championship in three seasons, the 5-foot-8, 183-pound, rock-solid
forward turned pro and scored a goal in just his second shift as a
member of the Bears, for whom he played two games. Now, his goal is
to earn a deal from Washington.

The 23-year-old grew into a
reliable two-way player in college and, while he’ll need to
add mass, Almeida will look to use his speed and hockey sense as
his key attributes against bigger, stronger competition as he
transitions into his first full pro season.

“In the pros, you’ve
got to be able to play on both sides of the puck,” Almeida
said. “You can’t just be an offensive player, getting
away with cheating the puck or cheating the game, especially being
a small guy. You’ve got to be depended on at both ends of the
ice, and hopefully I can translate that to the pro game.”

Mark Arcobello

Hometown: Milford, Conn.

2012-13 team: Okla.
City Barons

Position: Center

Arcobello is a small, versatile
forward in his third pro season after four standout years at Yale.
The 5-foot-9, 165-pound undrafted center/wing earned an NHL
contract from Edmonton after impressing in split time between
Oklahoma City and Stockton (ECHL) as a rookie. He broke out
offensively with 43 points in his first full AHL season to finish
second on the Barons in scoring before leading them to the
conference finals with 13 points in 14 playoff games.

The 24-year-old is a setup man
by nature and a fixture on the power play, but he aspires to
contribute on the penalty kill as he gets better defensively in his
own zone. Arcobello also hopes to build upon his speed and improve
his finishing touch around the net after a 17-goal season.

Demoted early in camp by the
Oilers a year ago and without the opportunity to prove himself to
the NHL brass in September, Arcobello is motivated to show he
belongs at the highest level, but knows it won’t be easy.

“Edmonton has a lot of
good young players up there, which kind of makes it maybe a little
harder because there are so many top prospects that deserve to be
there,” he said. “I’d like to think that if I
keep doing what I’ve been doing, getting points and stuff,
I’ll get there. I’ll take whatever the staffs in
Edmonton and Oklahoma City say to do, improve on those things, and
hopefully make that step sooner rather than later.”

Ryan Bourque

Hometown: Boxford, Mass.

2012-13
team: Connecticut Whale

Position: Left
wing

If the name rings a bell, it
should. The son of Bruins legend Ray Bourque is a second-year pro
in the New York Rangers organization, selected 80th overall in the
third round of the 2009 NHL draft. The 21-year-old enjoyed a great
training camp with the Blueshirts before his rookie season, but he
quickly suffered a concussion once assigned to Connecticut that
forced him to miss time and later spiraled into bouts with
inconsistency. The good news is Bourque finished the season strong
and played his best hockey in the postseason, ultimately relishing
the shutdown/energy role he’d carved out for himself after
two solid seasons offensively in the
QMJHL with Quebec. As an AHL rookie, he scored 14 points in 69
games.

At 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds,
Bourque is a fast, responsible defender who plays with a boatload
of energy and has a tremendous work ethic. He’d benefit in
his second season from shooting more and playing a little more
selfishly in order to elevate the offensive side of his game
but, for now, he’ll keep building on his strengths.

“With a year under my
belt, I know what to expect and that will be a huge help,”
Bourque said. “I need to continue what I was doing at the end
of last year and try to bring that same energy and that same game.
I’ve never really liked to set individual goals for myself
but I think as long as I’m doing the right things day-in and
day-out, then the statistics will come.”

Paul Carey

Hometown: Weymouth, Mass.

2012-13 team:
Lake Erie Monsters

Position: Right
wing

Paul Carey finished his
collegiate career on a high note at Boston College, not only with a
second national title in three seasons but also as a main cog in
the team’s offensive attack with three goals in the Frozen
Four. In all, it was a productive senior year for the Eagles
assistant captain, whose point total rose in each of his four
seasons. A Colorado draft pick in 2007 (fifth round, 135th
overall), Carey ended the season with a pair of AHL games for Lake
Erie.

The 24-year-old is a strong
skater and playmaker who displays lots of energy and isn’t
afraid of taking the puck to the net or doing the dirty work. At
6-foot-1 and 196 pounds, Carey’s physical game evolved in
college and he grew stronger along the walls and in the corners.
He’ll need to continue to improve positionally on defense at
the next level and work on his consistency, but he knows the key
will be building on what made him so successful in college.

“I’m gonna try to
bring the same energy and use my skating as my number one
asset,” Carey said, “whether that’s forechecking,
backchecking, creating time and space for myself to make more
plays, or whatever else I have to do. I’m just hoping to
impress the coaching staffs, play every game and play in all
different situations on the ice.”

Charlie Coyle

Hometown: East Weymouth, Mass.

2012-13 team: Houston
Aeros

Position: Center

As the only first-rounder on
this list, it’s conceivable that Charlie Coyle would have
broken camp with Minnesota if not for the NHL lockout.

The 20-year-old power forward
was selected 28th overall in 2010 by San Jose before getting dealt
to the Wild in 2011. He was the Hockey East Rookie of the Year with
Boston University in 2010-11 and spent the first half of last
season with the Terriers before deciding to leave school for the
QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs to focus solely on hockey.

After a second consecutive
appearance with Team USA at the World Junior Championships, Coyle
helped the Sea Dogs to a league title and a spot in the Memorial
Cup semifinals. Coyle’s numbers were staggering in the
playoffs, scoring 15 goals and 34 points in just 17 contests.

He’s physically mature at
6-foot-2, 207 pounds, and he knows how to use his body. Coyle has
good hands, an excellent release, plays strong and smart, and
he’ll be featured at both center and wing. Like anyone at his
stage of development, he just needs to experience the daily grind
of the pro game.

“It’s obviously a
long season,” Coyle said. “Going from Saint John, you
play more games (than in college), but I haven’t really done
something like this before. I need to focus every day in practice,
in the gym or wherever it is, putting in 100 percent, working hard
and getting better. If you put the time and effort in, I believe
things will work out.”

Tommy Cross

Hometown: Simsbury, Conn.

2012-13 team:
Providence Bruins

Position:
Defenseman

Cross closed out his fourth
season at Boston College in grand fashion, captaining the Eagles to
their second national championship in three seasons. Equally
noteworthy for Cross, however, was his ability to stay healthy
after a rash of knee injuries throughout his college career.

The 23-year-old reigning Male
Eagle of the Year is as known a commodity as there is on this list,
having been drafted by the Boston Bruins in the second round (35th
overall) in 2007. Cross followed up his time at BC with two games
in Providence, giving fans a brief look at the steady, reliable
blueliner. While he has to keep working on his footwork and in-zone
coverage, he’s capable of being a shutdown defender, has a
good stick and makes a great first pass. Plus, at 6-foot-3 and 215
pounds, Cross’ strength inevitably will become a bigger part
of his game as he learns to be more physical.

Humble, mature beyond his years
and certainly a born leader, Cross knows what it takes to win and
what it will take to advance to the next level.

“I’ve just got to
focus on being consistent and playing my best hockey, and let the
people in the organization (decide what happens),” he said.
“It’s up to me to play my best and improve because if
those two things don’t happen, then you don’t get a
chance in the NHL. Hopefully an opportunity comes up, and when it
does, I’ll embrace it.”

Brian Dumoulin

Hometown: Biddeford, Maine

2012-13 team:
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

Position:
Defenseman

Dumoulin’s freshman season
at Boston College was great. His next two seasons were
otherworldly. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound NHL-ready blueliner is a
two-time All-American, the first two-time winner of the Hockey East
Best Defensive Defenseman honor, a two-time recipient of the Bob
Monahan Award as the Best Defenseman in New England and a two-time
national champion, and he was a Hobey Baker finalist as a junior,
not to mention the Eagles’ co-MVP.

Simply put, the 21-year-old
Dumoulin is big, strong, consistent on both sides of the puck,
makes a great breakout pass, logs a ton of minutes, and he’ll
play in all situations. There are few flaws to his game, aside from
perhaps a need to improve upon his ability to create
separation.

Drafted by Carolina in the
second round (51st overall) in 2009, Dumoulin was traded to
Pittsburgh last June, and the first-year pro is excited for what
awaits when the NHL comes calling.

“There are over 75 games
in the AHL season, and (Pittsburgh’s) gonna need players who
show up every day and move the puck up to the forwards because
their organization has some of the best forwards in the
world,” he said. “If they have the puck on their
sticks, magical things are going to happen. That’s a key for
me, moving the puck and being consistent defensively and
offensively.”

Brian Flynn

Hometown: Lynnfield, Mass.

2012-13
team: Rochester Americans

Position: Center

Flynn enters the pro ranks as
one of the most prolific scorers to ever come through the
University of Maine. In four seasons, the former Black Bears
co-captain amassed 156 points (69 goals, 87 assists) in 153 games
to rank 11th on the school’s all-time scoring list.
Flynn’s best season was his last, finishing tied for 10th in
the nation with 48 points. Undrafted, the 24-year-old’s
performance earned him an NHL contract with Buffalo, and he closed
out 2011-12 with five games for the Sabres’ top affiliate in
Rochester.

Regarded as a solid all-around
player, Flynn was a model of consistency in college, showing the
ability to provide offense at will with the help of great hands and
masterful vision.

At the next level, however,
he’ll have to add muscle to his 6-foot-1, 185-pound frame and
avoid a pattern of letting his weight dip over the course of a long
season.

“You have to have
linemates that you jell with well and have chemistry with out
there,” Flynn identified as a key to success in the AHL.
“There are going to be ups and downs, but the more you can
minimize those downs and just be consistent then, by the end of the
season, points and everything else will figure itself
out.”

Brian Gibbons

Hometown: Braintree, Mass.

2012-13 team:
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

Position: Center

With one pro season under his
belt, Gibbons has his sights set on a more consistent season in his
second year in Pittsburgh’s system.

The 24-year-old forward was an
offensive force in the first month of his rookie season —
notching nine of his 30 total points — but he was more
pedestrian the rest of the way and failed to produce a point in
nine playoff games.

However, at 5-foot-8 and 170
pounds, the undrafted Gibbons is a speedster with dynamic vision
and an innate ability to create space and find teammates in just
the right spot. Boston College fans may remember that well as the
two-time national champion recorded 164 points (56 goals, 108
assists) in 160 games with the Eagles to rank tied for 15th on the
school’s all-time scoring list.

“It felt good to have some
success early in the AHL to prove to yourself that you can play at
that level and get some more confidence in your game,”
Gibbons said. “With that being said, there are a lot of
things to work on. You’ve always got to watch film and look
at areas to improve. Over the course of the year, my offense slowed
down but I think I became a better overall player in some other
areas of the ice and hopefully that will translate into success
this year.”

Joe Lavin

Hometown: Shrewsbury, Mass.

2012-13 team: Rockford
IceHogs

Position:
Defenseman

A versatile and reliable
defender, Joe Lavin’s talents didn’t go unrecognized as
a first-year pro last season in Rockford, where the Chicago
fifth-round pick (126th overall in 2007) finished as the
IceHogs’ Rookie of the Year following a college career split
between Providence and Notre Dame.

After a slow start at the
professional ranks, the 23-year-old totaled 17 points on the blue
line and became a regular player in all situations, relishing his
time on the penalty kill.

At 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds,
Lavin’s strength is his skating ability. He’s agile,
jumps up into the play and possesses a solid two-way game.
He’s learned the importance of consistency from the veterans
around him and must build upon a strong second half, where he
evolved into more of an agitator who still needs to be tougher and
grittier to make it to the next level. For now, though, it’s
all about playing effectively and often.

“There’s nothing
better than having coaches instill their confidence in you and
throwing you out there for huge minutes each night,” Lavin
said. “It’s doing that every single night. I think a
lot of guys question why some guys are in the NHL, but they
consistently bring whatever they can bring to the table. There were
times last year when I was really good and times when I was really
bad, but it’s the consistency that the NHL guys look for and
that’s going to be my biggest focal point.”

John Muse

Hometown: East Falmouth, Mass.

2012-13 team: Charlotte
Checkers

Position:
Goaltender

Muse will tell you he’s
not satisfied with his rebound control. To this point, though, it
hasn’t mattered. He’s a proven winner. After two
national championships and countless other trophies and
distinctions in his four years as a starter at Boston College, the
goaltender capped his first year in the pros with yet another title
as he backstopped Florida to the Kelly Cup, earning ECHL playoff
MVP honors thanks to an 11-2 record and 1.78 GAA. The undrafted
24-year-old also enjoyed success with Carolina’s top
affiliate in Charlotte, going 10-3-2 with a slim 1.81 goals-against
average and .941 save percentage, garnering him his first NHL
contract.

Muse isn’t a big guy in
net, just 5-foot-11 and 175 pounds, but he uses that size to his
advantage with quickness and precision playing the angles, and
he’ll frequently challenge shooters atop the crease. The
second-year pro will contend this season for the No. 1 job with the
Checkers, feeding off the confidence he’s built from years of
winning.

“I have a lot of quiet
confidence,” Muse said. “I’m not a cocky guy, but
I’m definitely confident. Wherever I’m playing this
year, I have confidence in myself that I’ll continue to win
and I’m gonna do my best. If the opportunity arises that I
can be called up, I’ll take full advantage of
that.”

Will O’Neill

Hometown: Salem, Mass.

2012-13 team: St.
John’s IceCaps

Position:
Defenseman

After four standout years at
Maine, compiling 101 points and 263 penalty minutes in 141 games,
Will O’Neill made an immediate impact when he jumped to the
AHL late last season. The former Black Bears captain spent several
weeks with St. John’s following the conclusion of his college
career, and he tallied three points in seven regular-season games
with the IceCaps before practicing and learning from the stands as
that club advanced to the league’s conference finals.

At 24 years old, O’Neill
enters his first full season as a professional as a smooth-skating,
puck-moving defenseman with great vision and hockey sense.
He’s a force on the power play and has tremendous offensive
instincts. The Atlanta/Winnipeg draft pick (210th overall in the
seventh round in 2006) is very physical as well, though at 6-foot-1
and 205 pounds, he’ll have to continue adding to his frame
while also picking up his foot speed.

The son of a hockey coach
— his father, Bill, leads the bench at Salem State —
O’Neill knows learning comes from doing.

“In pro hockey,
there’s obviously a big step from college to the AHL, and AHL
to the NHL, but it’s all about getting an opportunity and
taking advantage of it,” he said. “The more experience
I have in St. John’s, the more games I play and the more
situations I’m in, I think will only help me for when I get
that chance in Winnipeg. I have to be prepared.”

Paul Thompson

Hometown: Derry, N.H.

2012-13 team:
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

Position: Right
wing

Thompson went undrafted, but he
was given an NHL contract from Pittsburgh after exploding
offensively in his final two college seasons at New Hampshire. The
2011 Hockey East Player of the Year and Hobey Baker Award finalist
finished his time with the Wildcats with 55 goals and 112 points in
140 games. That offensive touch was limited to 10 goals and 25
points as a rookie for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last season, but the
23-year-old was more focused on doing the little things in his
transition to the pros.

Thompson’s rookie season
was given a jolt after a brief one-game demotion to Wheeling of the
ECHL in December, but he welcomed the opportunity as a wakeup call,
quickly earned his way back to the Penguins and remained in the
lineup for much of the season.

The 6-foot-1, 201-pound forward
will continue to work on his footwork and his consistency in year
two as he fights for more ice time, particularly on the power play.
Fortunately, he ended last season playing his best hockey.

“I need to continue
playing the way I was playing at the end of last year and build off
of that,” Thompson said. “Hopefully that translates
into better offensive numbers and a bigger role offensively on the
team. I’m focused on trying to get off to a good start and
playing the way I know you need to play to have success in this
league.”

Chris Wagner

Hometown: Walpole, Mass.

2012-13 team: Norfolk
Admirals

Position: Center

Following two productive college
seasons at Colgate, the 21-year-old Wagner enters the pros as a
confident and physical power forward still growing into his body.
The 6-foot, 195-pound playmaker finished second on the Raiders in
scoring last season and sixth in the country as just a sophomore
with 51 points, including a team-high 34 assists, totals that came
as little surprise given his unselfishness and dynamic offensive
touch. While he will have to get faster and develop a quicker
release, Wagner sees the ice and moves the puck well, and he loves
to post up in front of the net.

A 2010 selection by Anaheim
(fifth round, 122nd overall), Wagner shines from the faceoff circle
out, and his varied skill-set should open some eyes.

“My goal is to play every
game, and hopefully have a pretty big role, whether as a defensive
forward, a goal-scorer, or whatever else they want me to be,”
Wagner said. “The key is consistency. If I play the best I
can play night-in and night-out, then I don’t think
I’ll have a problem being an everyday player in the NHL. I
have to skate better and get my feet quicker. The NHL is fast now,
and it’s gonna get faster. It’s not as much a physical
game anymore as it is a skating game.”

David Warsofsky

Hometown: Marshfield,
Mass.

2012-13 team:
Providence Bruins

Position:
Defenseman

Warsofsky battled issues with
consistency and intensity early in his rookie year last season, but
he had a strong finish with Providence to carry him into the
summer. The offensive defenseman is a sound decision-maker with the
puck and distributes well, which helped him register 24 assists
among his 29 points. Warsofsky has a strong release and certainly
would benefit from shooting more, especially on the power play,
where he has the potential to run things.

The 22-year-old’s
bread-and-butter, though, is defense. He’s quick, intelligent
and reliable, rarely putting himself in a bad position. Though
small at 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds, Warsofsky is durable, knows his
physical limitations and he’s earned the trust of his
coaches, resulting in a regular shift in most situations.

Selected by St. Louis 95th
overall in the fourth round in 2008, Warsofsky is Boston property
after a 2010 trade, and he’s eager to wear the Black and
Gold.

“My goal every season is just to get better every
day,” the Boston University alumnus said. “I want to go
to the rink and improve on the little things and know that I left
the rink a better player than when I got there. Hopefully, I have a
lot of playing time ahead of me but, at the same time, you want to
get that opportunity as soon as you can. I’m ready for it
whenever the Bruins think I’m ready also.”